The station was launched through a partnership between the university's board of governors and its student union. For a number of years, the station also aired some programming from the CBC Stereo network before CBKS was launched.[1]

In 1983, with the station in financial trouble, it began to accept limited commercial advertising, and briefly changed its call sign to CHSK.[1] The following year, the university's board decided to discontinue its funding of the station, and CHSK ceased broadcasting on September 30, 1985.

The university has never applied for another broadcast license. However, the university does maintain an informal relationship with the independent community radio station CFCR-FM, which actively solicits volunteers among the university's student body.